Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-07-13
PlagoN-Roosr MASSACRE
Story OF n Tragedy Enacted I'm Southern
INDIANA In The EarIy nar.


Indiana In the Early Days
Pigeon-roost writes Mr.. A. w. Tobias
In the Madison Qnd) Courier, was the
namo OF q small settlement formed in
1872 and was so called from the innum-
CRADLE pigeons th e roasted in that
vicinity. 1t was situated five miles
south OF Scottsburg, the present county
scat OF Scott aud near a be .utlful stream
that bears the memorable name until this
day. AT tho time OF the massacre most OF
the men were away from home. In the
afternoon Of September 3, 1912, Elias
Payne and NJ. Ceilings, while out bee
hunting one and onc-half miles from the
present site OF Vienna, were surprised
and killed by party of Shawnee war
riors. Scalping their victims, they hast
encd toward tho settlement, which they
reached about shutdown. In one short
hour one man, fvo women and sixteen
children wcrc struck dead by the ruthless
tomuhIwk or the fendtsh savages.
Among the killed were Henry Ceilings
and wife, Mrs. Payne and her eight
children, Mrs. Ceilings and her seven
children, Mrs John Norris, her only
child and aged mother-in-iaw-for the
aged were spared no more than the in
FAINT Mrs. Biggs concealed herself and
children in sink hole, until the Indians
plundering, whom she fisl, and succce led
in reaching the residence Of her brother.
John Ceilings, son OF William L. Ceilings,
had just caught horse to go after the
cows, when he saw an Indian approach
Ing In threatening attitude. He dropped
the rein and He'd, pursued by the savage,
who was gaining on him, when he heard
the report OF his fathers rife, and saw
the savage fall with tho blood streaming
from his breast lie succeed in reaching
the house in safety. There were in the
house: William e. Ceilings (whom the
Indians well knew, and from his I'M
erring aim named Long Knife), his two
children, John and Lydia, and Captain
Norris. They kept the Indians back until
about dark. They knew that as soon as
il was dark enough for tho Indians to ap-
proach tho house without being seen
they would set fire to it and burn
them alive. They therefore decided to
risk the perils CT escape. Lydia went
hrst, then her brother John, followed by
Norris, and lastly 'Long- Knife" As the
latter was passing the corn crib an Indian
fred at HIM. He Immediately raised his
gun 10 return the fire, when he found that
the ball fired by tho savage had broken
the lock OF his gun. He holloaed to Norris
TO bring him the other gun, but Norris
W 10 AiAS tue lSlU3u: lie na1 n brave
heart but cowardly pair of legs" aud
they carried him away, leaving Ceilings
to fight the Indians alone with broken
gun. When they crowded him too close
h. would raise his gun and pretend that
he was going to fire, and thus brighten
them back; for they knew, from the many
shooting matches IN which he came out
second to none, that it was folly to stand
before his aim. In this way he reached
the corn field, under cover of which he
ESCAPED. After p'undering the houses
the Indians set fire to them, and most OF
the dead bodies being within the houses
were thus consumed. However, some of
the children were pierced by sharp sticks
aud left sitting against trees. Their Eor-
rib!e deed accomplished, the Indians
started northwlr1. A large force of
Clark County militia soon gathered from
the vicinity of Charleston, which reached
the scene Of carnage while the smoking
remains Of the cabins and charred bodies
presented the most horrible spectacle
they had ever witnessed. They immedi-
aiely pursued the saw iges to the Musca-
tatuck, which they found so much swoolen
that they could not effect crossing, and
were compelled TO give up the pursuit.
They then returned and buried the re-
mains OF the victims in two graves about
one hundred yards east of the j., NJ q 1.
railroad, and near what is since known as
the Pigecn-roost of Sodon cemetery At
present there is nothing to show where
the graves arc except throe or four rough
stones and large sassafras tree, which is
said tn have witnessed the event, but -
now thought to be entirely dead.